We are conducting experimental study on Self-Amplified Spontaneous Emission (SASE) in the far-infrared region using the L-band linac at the Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (ISIR), Osaka University. The intensity of SASE fluctuates intrinsically because the number of coherent optical pulses generated in an electron bunch is limited. In the actual system, however, another factor producing intensity fluctuations also shows up, which is instability of the linac. Generally speaking, it is difficult to distinguish contributions of these two factors in measured intensity fluctuations. We have applied the autoregressive (AR) model, which is one of the techniques of statistical analysis, to exclude contributions of linac instability from measured data. In the AR model, the present data can be expressed with a linear combination of the past data plus white noise. In the analysis, contributions of the linac instability are identified with the AR model and can be subtracted from the measured data of SASE, so that white noise remains, which is due to intrinsic fluctuations of SASE. In this paper, we will report results of analysis of intensity fluctuations of SASE measured at ISIR, Osaka University, using the AR model.

We are developing the far-infrared free-electron laser (FEL) using the L-band electron linac at the Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (ISIR), Osaka University. The first lasing of the FEL was obtained at wavelengths from 32 to 40 μm in 1994, and the wavelength region has been extended up to 150 μm. The linac was designed and constructed for producing the high-intensity single-bunch beam for pulse radiolysis, so that the filling time of the accelerating structure is 1.8 μs long and the maximum macropulse length of the electron beam is limited to 2 μs, though the duration of the RF pulse can be extended to 4 μs. As a result, the FEL could not reach power saturation because the number of amplification times was limited. Recently, the linac has been extensively remodeled to realize high operational stability and reproducibility for advanced studies in beam science and technology. Almost all the peripheral components are replaced with new ones. At this opportunity, the linac is also made suitable for FEL so that the macropule can be extended up to 6 μs in duration for power saturation of the FEL. The modification of the linac has been completed and commissioning is now in progress. In this paper, we will report performance and characteristics of the linac after modification.